Welling United 3 - Crusaders 2

This was a dramatic day in more ways than one, a minutes silence before the kick-off, with our players wearing black arm bands, to commemorate the 30th. Anniversary of the Hungerford Massacre, a chance for Stefan Brown in the first minute, some poor defending which saw us 3-0 down after only 20 minutes, a fight-back which saw Louie Soares reduce the arrears before the half-hour, a great deal of pressure from us, especially after the interval when we looked capable of saving the game, a goal in the 90th. minute to reduce the deficit to a single goal, followed by over 4 minutes of injury-time pressure as we tried vainly for the equalizer .
Then to cap it all, the shock news that Bobby Wilkinson had resigned after 7 years of unprecedented success as we climbed from the Hellenic League, through the Southern League Division 1, then through the Premier Division, to come within a whisker of the play-offs in the National League South.
It is a remarkable record and a huge credit to him and the players he has brought into the club. Time will tell what is the long-term effect on the club in the testing times ahead, but we have had over 130 years of challenges and have somehow surmounted them all and here is another one, perhaps bigger than all the others which we must face.
But back to the game, as Stefan Brown broke through in the first minute, but opted to pass to a surprised Warren Bentley, who shot just wide. But it was the home side who struck first, centre-back Jamie Coyle rising above the defenders to head past Lewis Ward after only 3 minutes. The drama continued as Bentley appeared to be fouled by a defender, only for the free-kick to be given against us and Bentley booked ! Ian Herring headed just over, but worse was to come when Bradley Goldberg fired home a 25-yard shot after 15 minutes and we were 3-0 down 5 minutes late when Tom Bradbrook was unmarked from a corner and headed past Ward as the catalogue of defensive errors continued.
There appeared no way back, but the players rolled up their sleeves and began to create chances as they put pressure on the home defence, Louie Soares eventually reacting first when his shot was saved to drive home the rebound to make it 3-1
Suddenly it was the home defence which looked suspect, Dillon Barnes saving well from a Stefan Brown cross-shot and the Wings defence somehow scrambling away another effort from Louie Soares , when another goal looked likely to save the game, but there were openings for the home side as we pressed forward after the interval and Lewis Ward was forced to pull off a good save from Goldberg.
There were plenty incidents as the game wore on, a penalty appeal as a Bentley shot was blocked, a free-kick at the other end when Ward handled a back-pass, a rugby tackle on Luke Hopper which went unpunished, and a close-range shot from Bentley in the crowded penalty area which went just wide.
At last, in the 90th.minute, Luke Hopper made it 3-2 from close-range, and with over 4 minutes of injury-time there was still a faint chance of a point but the home side somehow held on the claim the win and send us home with nothing to show for a spirited fight-back.

Team; Lewis Ward, Rhy Tyler, Paul Stonehouse, Matt Partridge, Jon Boardman, Callum Willmoth James Clark(Stefane Ngamvoulou)Ian Herring,Stefan Brown(Luke Hopper, Warren Bentley, Louie Soares(Tom Meecham) Subs;Scott Rees, Jamal Lawrence.